Electric iron



sept. 15, 1925. @553,366

O. A. COLBY ELECTRIC TRON Filed May 9. 1923 WITNESSES: l l l l iINVENTOR a a4 za z'r ze ze @Enq A Colby,

I Patented Sept..l l5, 19`25.

UNITED STATE/s 1,553,366 PATENT OFFICE.

ORA. A. COLBY, OF IRWIN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNO'R T0 WESTINGHOUSEELECTRIC t MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION 0F PENNSYLVANIA.

` ELECTRIC IRON.

Application filed Kay 9,

an electric iron of relatively simple and. inexpensive construction andthat shall em ploy relatively few parts and. shall be easily and quicklyassembled and disassembled.,

Another Aobject of my invention is to provide a relatively simple and;inexpensive heating element for an electric iron.

Another object of my invention is to provide a relatively simpleterminal construction for the heating element of an electric iron.

In practicing my invention, l provide a sole plate, of substantiallytriangular contour, .having a longitudinally extending p a portion ofthe to chamber the-reimsaid chamber 'being wider at the rear end of theiron than at the front end thereof. Two tubes of electric insulatingmaterial are located in the chamber adjacent to the side wallsthereof'and a continuous electric resistor member is located in saidtubes. "f A filling of granular electric-insulating and heat-conductingmaterial is provided in the chamber and in the tubes.A Anelectricginsulating member that is interlocked with the rear portion ofthe sole plate is` provided to close the'chamber and to hold the tubesin their' proper operative positions therein and this member carriessuit-able contact terminal members electrically connectyand it iseffective also to' securely hold the interlocked member in its proper.operative position against the to of the iron. In the single sheet ofvdrawings,

Figure 1 is a view, partly in-longitudinal vertical section and partlyin side elevation, of an electric iron comprising the device embodyingmy invention.

.Fig 2 is'a top plan view thereof, with the coverA and the handle memberremoved and cut away, and Figx is a view, 1n vertical lateral sectionthereof, taken onthe line Il [Ii-III of Fig. 1.

1923. Serial No. 637,754.

An electric iron designated generally by the numeral 11 comprises a soleplate 12, the bottom or working surface of which is suitably smoothedand polished, as isl usual in the art.`

The member 12 may be of substantially triangular `contour and isprovided with a longitudinally extending chamber 13 of relatively lowheight, which chamber is relatively narrow at the front end of the soleplate, and is relatively wide at the rear end thereof. Integral sideportions 15 of the sole-plate are provided at each side adjacent to therear edge thereof and are located above the bottom portion` of the soleplate 12. The inner opposing faces thereof are angularly disposedrelatively to each other to provide a relatively wide opening 16 ofdove-tail shape, therebetween for a purpose to be hereinafter set forthindetail.

` rlhe top portion 14 of the sole plate does not extend outwardly to aplaney immediately above the rear edge of the sole plate 12 butterminates immediately inside of the hereinbefore described dove-tailopening 16.

A cover member 17, of substantially the same contour as the sole plate12, is located thereabove and is held in its proper operative positionby a single machine screw 18 extending therethrough and into an integralupstanding lug 19 on the top portion 14. A handle strap 21 issecuredagainst the upper surface of the cover member 17 by rivets 22 andhas secured thereto at the upper ends thereof a-suitable handle 23.

A heating element for the iron comprises two tubes 124,V ofelectric-insulating material, that are located in the chamber closelyadj acent to the walls constituting the sides thereof.' The front end ofeach of the tubes 24 is provided witha beveled portion 25 which may beobtained by ,cutting olf `a small portion of each of the tubes 24angularly rela; tively to the tubes themselves. The amount of materialcut oft' is such as will permit of locating the front ends of the twotubes in close operative engagement relatively to each other andrelatively also to the walls of the chamber 13. This constructionpermits of locating the two tubes in their proper operative positions inthe front end ofthe chamber. 13 and prevents any turning movement of thetwo tubes relatively to each other.

A resistor member 26 comprises a helical coil of a suitable resistormaterial, that is insulating and heat-conducting material,

such as alundum. During this operation, the iron may be held tipped upon its front end in a suitable holder.

The ends of the resistor member 26 are suitably secured to terminalstraps 28, the lower ends of which aresuitably insulated from the sole'plate 12 by sheets 29 of an electric insulating material, such as mica.Terminal pins 31 are suitably secured to the upper ends of the terminal'straps 28 by energized by the usual twin supply circuit' any suitablemeans, such as' a machine screw 32.-; f I

A member 33, of suitable electric-insulating and heat-insulatingmaterial and of L- shape in lateral section, is provided to close theopening of the chamber 13. The member 33 is located within the dove-tailopen-` ing 16 and is interlocked therewith by having its sides beveledto conform to the bevel of the integral positions 15. This member isplaced' in its proper operative position by moving it in a direction atright angles to the working surface of the sole plate 12. If desired, arelatively thin sheet 34, of asbestos, may be placed between the member33 and the rear ends of the tubes 24,

whereby a more resilient closure of they chamber 13 is effected.

Theheating element of the iron may be conductor 35, the ends of whichare suitably secured to contact sockets (not shown) located in ,acontact plug 36, the contact sockets being ada ted to operatively engagethe contact pms 31. A helical spring 37 may be provided in the plug 36to prevent undue kinking or bending of the supply circuit 35.

A guard for the termlnal pins 31 and for .the` plug 36 may comprise asuitably punched and shaped metal member 38l having integral dependingportions 39 and an integral forwardly extending portion 41 forpermittino of securing the same against the top of the cover 17 by oneof the rivets 22.f

A suitable opening 42 is provided in the rear of the top portion of thecover member 17 through which the terminal pins 31 may extend.

The dimensions of the member 33 are such as to cause it to iit closelybetween the cover member and the upper surface of the rear edge'of thebottom portion of the sole plate 12 when the cover member is held in itsproper operative position by the bolt 18.

This fixes the position of the terminal pins 31 which as hashereinbefore been described, are suitably mounted in the member 33.

A sheet metal member 43, of substantially `L-shape, may ha e one portionthereof secured to the insi e of the cover member 17 and have itsoutwardly extending portion return bent, substantially as shown in Fig.1 of the drawing. The member 43 co-operates with the plug 36 or with theouter edge of the guard 38 to support the iron in a backwardly-tiltedposition whenever de'- sired. l

The chamber 13 may be suitably cored out and does not require anymachining operations. The lateral dimensions of the chamber 13 may be4made any 'suitable value inorder to co-operate with the granularheat-conducting material located therein to lprovide a relativelyuniform temperature over the entire working surface of the bottom of thesole late 12: The member'33, being interlocke with the"v sole plate 12,holds the tubes 24 in their proper operative spaced positions in theironand if it -is necessary to replace the heating element,

this member maybe easily and quickly removed from its operativeengagement with the sole plate aftergthe cover member has been removed.After this, the tubes and the resistor member located therein may alsobe easily and quickly removed and new ones substituted therefor.

Various modifications and changes may be made without departing from thespirit andscope of the invention, and I desire,

therefore, that only such limitations shall be. placed thereon as areimposed by the prior art or are set forth in the appended claims. y

I claim as my invention:

1. An electric iron :comprising a longitudinally chambered sole plate, aplurality of tubular electric insulating members in said chamber, anelectric resistor member in said tubular members and means interlockedwithl said sole plate for holding said tubular members in properoperative positions in said chamber.

2. An electric iron comp-risinga longitudinally chambered sole plate, aplurality .of tubular electric-insulating members in said chamber, acontinuous resistor member 1n said tubular members, afilllng of granularelectric-insulating, and heat-conducting y material in said chamber andin said tubular members, and means interlocked with said sole plate forholding said tubular members 1n proper operative positions in saidchamber.

3. An electric iron comprising a lon tudinally chambered sole plate. aplurality of tubesof electric-insulating material in said chamber andoperatively engaging the side Walls thereof, a continuous electricresistor in said tubes, a illing of granular, electric-insulating andheat-conducting material in said chamber and said tubes, and an electricinsulating member, interlocked with said sole plate, for closing saidchamber and for holding said tubes in proper operative positions in saidchamber.

4. An electric iron comprising a longitudinally chambered sole plate, aplurality of tubes of electric-insulating material in said chamber andoperatively engaging the side Walls thereof, a continuous electricresistor in said tubes, a lilling of granular, electric-insulating andheat-conducting material -in said chamber and'said tubes, anelectric-insulating member interloked with said sole plate for closingsaid chamber, and a pair of Contact terminal members for said resistormember projecting through and supported by said electric-insulatingmember.

5. An electric iron comprising a longitudinally chambered sole plate, aplurality of tubes of electric-insulating material in said chamber andoperatively engaging the side Walls thereof, a continuous electricresistor in said tubes, a lling of granular, electric-insulating andheat-conducting material in said chamber and said tubes, anelectric-insulating member interlocked with said sole plate, for closingsaid chamber and for holding said tubes in proper operative positions insaid chamber and a cover member on said sole plate for covering the sameand for holding said electric-insulating member against an upper surfaceof said sole plate A ln testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed myname this 7th day of May 1923.

ORA A. CGLBY.

